One of the reasons I put together the VVD 4.3 on VxRail Breadcrumb Build series was that I wanted to have a go at using VMware HCX to migrate workloads between a VxRack SDDC and a VxRail. In this series, the ultimate goal is to build a VMware HCX topology like the one shown below that will allow me to migrate virtual machine workloads between these endpoints in cold or vMotion styles using either on-demand or scheduled migrations.

HCX offers some cool features when it comes to this sort of thing. The ones that jumped out at me were these

Uncomplicated network requirements between the platforms. Really all you need open is TCP 443 and UDP 500,4500. Thats about as uncomplicated as it gets.

Ability to on-demand/schedule both bulk migration and vMotion migration types

Single source to multiple targets (could be used for redistribution from one source to multiple smaller targets)

Built in WAN optimization, and network extension

So let’s gather a few of the key data points you are going to need during the deployment. You’ll find that typically the destination system is referred to as ‘cloud’ and the source system is typically referred to as ‘enterprise’ throughout the HCX documentation (presumably to reinforce that you can migration out of your datacenter and into a cloud provider). I’m keeping that nomenclature for the parameter gathering.

VMware Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC)

Before you go too far, if you intend to use the live vMotion capability of HCX, then you should check out how compatible the CPUs between enterprise/source and cloud/destination systems are. You might find that you need to turn EVC on if you haven’t already and that the levels of EVC are compatible. It can be disruptive to turn this one if there are workloads already running on the system, so get out in front of it.

Licenses

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[nsx-enterprise-plus-license]

xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

Supporting Infrastructure

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[cloud-dns-server]

Destination Name Resolution

192.168.5.9

[cloud-ad-domain]

Destination AD

regiona.domain.local

[cloud-ntp-ip]

Destination Time Synchronization

192.168.76.12

[enterprise-dns-server]

Source Name Resolution

[enterprise-ad-domain]

Source AD

sddc1.corp.local

[enterprise-ntp-ip]

Source Time Synchronization

192.168.15.9

vCenter/SSO Information

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[cloud-vcenter-fqdn]

Destination vCenter

vc02.regiona.domain.local

[cloud-vcenter-ip]

192.168.5.31

[cloud-psc-lb-fqdn]

Destination Load Balanced PSC or stand alone as appropriate

ra-psc.regiona.domain.local

[cloud-sso-admin-username]

administrtor@vsphere.local

[cloud-sso-admin-password]

VMw@re!!

[enterprise-vcenter-fqdn]

Source vCenter

rack-vc-1.sddc1.corp.local

[enterprise-vcenter-ip]

192.168.105.31

[enterprise-psc-lb-fqdn]

Source Load Balanced PSC or stand alone as appropriate

psc01.sddc1.corp.local

[enterprise-sso-admin-username]

administrator@vsphere.local

[enterprise-sso-admin-password]

SxdfR!1cheTR

vSphere Objects Information

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[cloud-datastore]

Destination vSAN datastore

SEC-Datastore

[cloud-cluster]

VxRail-SEC-Cluster

[cloud-hcx-resourcepool]

Used for HCX component deployment

SEC-HCX-RP

[enterprise-datastore]

Source vSAN datastore

VxRack-Datastore

[enterprise-cluster]

Rack1-Cluster

[enterprise-vds]

Rack1-VDS

NSX Information

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[cloud-nsx-manager-fqdn]

Destination NSX Manager

wld-nsx.regiona.domain.local

[cloud-nsx-manager-admin]

admin

[cloud-nsx-manager-admin-password]

VMw@re!!

[enterprise-nsx-manager-fqdn]

rack1-nsx.sddc1.corp.local

[enterprise-nsx-manager-admin]

admin

[enterprise-nsx-manager-admin-password]

Ghxtasdad4!!grr

Network Information

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[cloud-mgmt-portgroup]

Management Network-c1628d89-021e-41d5-87c5-7be8f57ded1d

[cloud-mgmt-gateway]

192.168.5.1

[cloud-mgmt-prefix-length]

25

[enterprise-mgmt-portgroup]

vRack-DPortGroup-Mgmt

[enterprise-mgmt-gateway]

192.168.105.1

[enterprise-mgmt-prefix-length]

24

[cloud-vmotion-portgroup]

vSphere vMotion-c1628d89-021e-41d5-87c5-7be8f57ded1d

[cloud-vmotion-prefix-length]

24

[enterprise-vmotion-portgroup]

vRack-DPortGroup-vMotion

[enterprise-vmotion-prefix-length]

24

HCX Cloud (Destination) Information

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[cloud-hcx-vmname]

VXR-HCX-02

[cloud-hcx-hostname]

vrx-hcx-02.regiona.domain.local

[cloud-hcx-fqdn]

vrx-hcx-02.regiona.domain.local

[cloud-hcx-ip]

192.168.5.90

[cloud-hcx-admin-password]

For login to 9443 Web UI

VMw@r3!!

[cloud-hcx-root-password]

VMw@r3!!

[cloud-hcx-location]

Chosen from list during HCX activation

Cork, Ireland

[cloud-hcx-management-ip-range]

Network profile range on Destination

192.168.5.70 – 192.168.5.74

[cloud-hcx-vmotion-ip-range]

Network profile range on Destination

192.168.221.20 – 192.168.221.24

[cloud-hcx-directconnection1-ip-range]

Network profile range on Destination

192.168.5.75 – 192.168.5.79

[cloud-hcx-countrycode]

Used during creation of private and public certs for HCX appliance

IE

[cloud-hcx-state]

Used during creation of private and public certs for HCX appliance

Cork

[cloud-hcx-locality]

Used during creation of private and public certs for HCX appliance

Cork

HCX Enterprise (Source) Information

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[enterprise-hcx-vmname]

VXR-HCX-01

[enterprise-hcx-hostname]

vrx-hcx-01.sddc1.corp.local

[enterprise-hcx-fqdn]

vrx-hcx-01.sddc1.corp.local

[enterprise-hcx-ip]

192.168.105.50

[enterprise-hcx-admin-password]

For login to 9443 Web UI

VMw@r3!!

[enterprise-hcx-root-password]

VMw@r3!!

[enterprise-hcx-location]

Chosen from list during HCX activation

Durham, United States of America

[enterprise-hcx-interconnect-password]

Used during deployment of HCX appliances during interconnect creation

VMw@r3!!

[enterprise-hcx-management-ip]

Used for deployment of HCX appliances during interconnect creation

192.168.105.51

[enterprise-hcx-vmotion-ip]

Used for deployment of HCX appliances during interconnect creation

192.168.4.20

[enterprise-hcx-network-ext-ip]

Used for deployment of HCX appliances during interconnect creation

192.168.105.52

[enterprise-hcx-network-ext-password]

Used for deployment of HCX appliances during interconnect creation

VMw@r3!!

VxRack SDDC Information

Parameter Key

Notes

Example

[sddc-controller-ip]

192.168.105.5

[sddc-controller-root-password]

vmware1234

[sddc-manager-ip]

192.168.105.6

[sddc-manager-root-password]

z^8R6-hJj8!47S6Ly+

With the requirements gathered, let’s crack on with the configuration.